Agricultural, commercial and industrial operations create nutrient laden waste, such as from excessive application of commercial fertilisers or in treatment plants/chemical processes. High levels of these nutrients pollute the environment, particularly if they are allowed to enter water courses. In particular, high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen from over use of fertilisers used in agriculture are known to affect water quality. This debilitates animal habitats and bio-diversity by reducing oxygenation in water courses, preventing healthy growth of plants and animals. Excessive algal growth also reduces penetration of light into the water and causes production of sulphides, and also results in socio-environmental impacts such as aesthetics, fouling, odour etc.
It has been recognised that there is a need for a practical treatment media and modality to intercept/recover and remove such nutrients, such as phosphorus and nitrogen already in water courses, or reduce such entering into water courses.
There has previously been some research conducted into using wood chips or other coarse media to physically strain nutrient laden particulates from drainage water. Experiments are known to have been conducted with sawdust placed in trenches to enhance biological denitrification of groundwater.
In the domestic and commercial environment, washing machines and dishwashers pump out water laden with detergent. Many detergents contain phosphorus bearing polyphosphates or phosphate. Although low and no-phosphate detergents have been proposed, in the interim, it would be beneficial to capture such phosphorus in waste water treatment plant effluent or in water courses.
With the aforementioned in mind, it is desirable of the present invention to provide a treatment medium and modality that captures harmful levels of nutrients, particularly phosphorus, in or before they reach water courses.
It is further desirable to provide a medium that creates or promotes conditions for biological denitrification of waste flows before waste water enters water courses.